Tube wall juxtaposing mechanism



NOV. 3, 1942. HALLEAD 2,300,567

.TUBE-WALL JUXTAPOSING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 16, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l7,1" 7 I INVENTOR- 1 16-61 ME/ V/l. HALLEAD.

ATTORNEYS.

1942- M. HALLEAD Q 2,300,567

TUBE-WALL JUXTAPOSING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 16} 1959 E'Sheets-Sheet 2 lmu5 E g E E "21 Z8 T 2a r I (Ii /W INVENTOR. IVE/E V/L HILLEAD.

ATTORNEYS.

"//////////I//////I//I///I////// Patented Nov. 3, 1942 UNITE ST v FFlQETUBE WALL JUXTAPOSING MECHANISM Application January 16, 1939, Serial No.251,145

14 Claims.

In closing collapsible tubes after filling, it has been usual to flattenor fishtail the ends of the tubes by members which enter the ends of thetubes from above. The tubes are frequently filled and closed as part ofa continuous series of oper-' ations in which the tubes are carried capside down in holders on a conveyor, and at various stations aresubjected to cleaning, filling, closing and other operations. Thus, atone station, by way of example, fingers have been caused to enter thetube from above, and the fingers have then been drawn apart, so as toform the tube end into an initial fishtail. Thereafter the juxtapositionof the tube wall portions is completed by clamplike members which movein from the sides.

The use of fishtailing means which enter the tube has certain seriousdisadvantages. In spite of all precautions taken in filling the tubes,the

entering fingers or other means frequently pick up some of the fillingmaterial. This condition occurs especially when tubes are given a fatfill; and is troublesome even when tubes are to be closed by foldingover the juxtaposed tube walls and crimping them orusing a sealing clip.

The collection of material by the spreader fingers is cumulative, andsmeary closures are frequently produced. Also there is an importantcleaning problem, as will be evident.

However, when the tubes are to be sealed by welding together thejuxtaposed end portions of the walls, it is vital that the juxtaposedportions beabsolutely' free from foreign matter, including the materialfilled'into the tubes, or good welds and anhermetic seal cannot beobtained. Not only must the tubes be filled with precaution againstsplashing or stringing-out of the contents, but they must also befishtailed in such a way as to prevent the rise of the material betweenthe walls. And-the use of members'entering the ends' of the tubes; whichmembers may pick upmaterial, is likely to result in a long succession-ofimperfect welds, even where they do not tend-to pick up materialcumulatively.

A fundamental object of my invention, therefore; isthe provision of ameans and method for shaping the ends of tubes so that the tube'wallsmay be juxtaposed, all without the use of any members which enterthetubes.

The ancillary objects of my invention will be set forth hereinafter, orwill be clear to one skilled in th'e'artupon reading thesespecifications; and I accomplish these objects by that certain conlowedout to form sockets into struction and arrangement of parts of which I55 shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. Reference is made to thedrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates my improved preformer as used in forming the chiseltype tube closure seen in Figure 4.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the preformers in closed position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the tube after removal from thepreformers.

Figure 4 shows the finished tube with the'bot tom seal and fold inconventional manner.

Figure 5 shows the device of Figure 1 combined with means for producingthe fat-fill tube of Figures 8 and 9.

Figure 6 is a perspective View of a member used in obtaining thefat-fill.

Figure '7 shows the tube after leaving the mechanism of Figure 5, andalso indicates straightedged flattening members.

Figures 8 and 9 are elevational views of a fatfill tube. I

Figure 10 shows a preferred form of mechanism for actuating thepreformers, the mechanism here being in open or at rest position.

Figure 11 shows the mechanism of Figure 10 just before the resilientpreformers begin to collapse the open end of the tube.

It is not generally possible successfully to collapse or fishtail theends of tubes by merely bringing against them straight edged membersfrom the outside. Clamping members may be relied uponto juxtapose thetube walls, but usually only after they have been so far shaped as to becapable of being squeezed together accurately. I have found that I canshape the ends of tubes without the use of members entering them if Iemploy curved resilient members as hereinafter taught. Figures 1 to 9inclusive illustrate such members and their actions and results in adiagrammatic way. Referring to these figures, l illustrates acollapsible tube which may be thought ofas held in cap side downposition in a holder on a conveyor. The numerals 2 and 3 indicateoperating members, which are to be moved inwardly or toward each otherduring the shaping of the tube, as shown by the arrows. These operatingmembers hold the formers 4 and 5, which are of a resilient material. Ihave found a resilient material like rubber to'be best for my purposealthough other materials may likewise be employed. In the formillustrated;

the' heads of the operating members are hole which integral, button-likeportions of the formers are engaged; This is a practical and convenientconstruction;

but it may be varied as will be obvious. In the form shown, the membersare held in assembled relationship by pins 3, which may be readilywithdrawn when it is desired to change the preforming elements.

The forming elements have an inner surface, i. e., the surface nearestthe tube, which is preferably curved, when the member is relaxed,substantially to the curvature of the unformed tube walls. This does notneed to be exact however, since tubes of different diameters may betreated without changing forming elements providing the change indiameter is not too great. When the tube is in position, and theelements are brought against it, as clearly shown in Figure 2, theresult is to form an initial spreading of the walls of the charactershown at I in Figure 3. This is a formation of rounded character inwhich the tube walls are not fully juxtaposed but in which they havebeen given a shape such that the juxtaposition may be perfectly done bymeans of straight-edged clamping members brought in from the sides.Exemplary clamping members are shown in dotted lines at It in Figure 7.The clamping members generally used both in machines which juxtapose andfold over the ends, of tube walls and in machines which juxtapose thewalls and weld them together are entirely suitable for this purpose.Where supporting members are not employed, the result is the chiselshaped tube closure shown at 8 in Figure 4.

It will be understood that the shaping of the tube walls may be carriedfurther than the rounded conformation hereinabove described a and alsodescribed hereinafter in connection with the so-called fat-fill. I mayif desired not only preliminarily shape the tube walls but also fullyjuxtapose them, which may be done by moving the members carrying theresilient elements further, so that the resilient elements flatten outsufiiciently fully to juxtapose the tube walls, as will be readilyunderstood. This is not usually necessary, however, since clamping meansare employed both in connection with welding operations for the tubewalls and also in connection with folding devices; and as has beenexplained, these clamping means may be relied upon to juxtapose the tubewalls after they have been given the rounded conformation described andillustrated by me.

To form a fat fill closure, the procedure is essentially the same, butincludes the use of supporting means for the tube to determine the lineson which the tube will bend during fishtailing. The supporting means ofmy co-pending application filed May 24, 1938, entitled Means forpreparing collapsible tubes for sealing, Serial Number 209,765, arepreferred; but other types may be employed. In Figure 5, I haveillustrated the use of the same preforming or shaping means as before,giving them the same index numerals. These are shown in use inconnection with supporting means of divided character and comprisingsupporting parts 9 and If! each provided with an operating member II orl2, One of the supporting members is illustrated in perspective inFigure 6. It will be observed that when the supporting members arebrought together, they embrace the tube and act as means to prevent thedeformation of the tube walls except along the upper edges of thesupporting members, which edges are shaped to define the lines on whichthe deformation is to occur. In particular, it willbe noted that theportions of the supporting members transverse to their direction ofmovement are shaped to maintain the substantially cylindrical curvatureof the tube walls to a point very close to the fishtail. When thesupporting members are used in connection with my preformers, theresultant fishtail (when they are brought together as in Figure 2) isshown at l3 in Figure 7. When the tube walls are collapsed andjuxtaposed by the clamps, and a fold made therein, the fishtail appearsin end elevation as shown at M in Figure 8 and [5 in Figure 9 in sideelevation.

In illustrating a commercial embodiment of my device, I shall describeit as a part of the mechanism of the tube filler, closer, and sealer ofthe copending application of Fechheimer and myself, entitled Tubefilling and sealing means, Serial Number 174,079, filed November 11,1937; and the mechanism shown in Figures 10 and 11 of this case may beconsidered as substituted for the tube fishtailing means and stationdisclosed therein. I have not illustrated in my present drawings suchparts of the machine as are not directly connected with the mechanism ofthis invention. The frame of the machine is indicated at l6. At I1 Ihave shown a housing covering the mechanism, supporting certain partsthereof, and overlying the conveyor l8 upon which the tubes are held insuitable holders 1%). The mechanism is operated by a cam B on the maincam shaft 20 of the machine. ing operated upon is indicated at 2! InFigures 10 and 11, an arm A, of bell crank shape and pivoted on asuitable support as at 22, bears a cam follower riding in a cam groovein the cam B. The left hand end of the arm A thus is caused to move upand down. The arm A bears at this end a pin A, which engages forklikeextensions of bell crank shaped arms C and D. These members arethemselves pivoted respectively at C and D to main arms of bell crankshape marked E and F and pivoted to a stationary external supportrespectively at E and F, Supporting members 9 and H], which are providedwith bracket means H are secured thereby to the downward extensions ofthe main bell crank arms E and F, the use of bolts G making theseforming members readily removable when it is desired to change the sizeof the tubes being treated.

My preforming members 4 and 5 are in this instance mounted upon upwardlyextending arms I, which are pivoted to the supporting members at I.Rollers M and N, mounted upon arms T,

are adjustably fixed to the arms I by screws 23,.

one of the members being slotted for adjustment. The rollers M and Nabut surfaces 24 and 25 on the downward extensions of the bell crankarms C and D. Abutment means 26 and 27 may be provided on the lowerextensions of the arms E and F to limit the movement of the arm C in aclockwise direction and of the arm D in a counterclockwise direction.Springs 28 and 29 may be engaged between the arms E and F respectivelyand the roller support on the forming means. A convenient constructionis that illustrated, in which the springs engage'the ends of the studson which the rollers M and N are mounted.

The construction of the operating elements will now be clear. Inoperation, as the arm Ais moved upwardly, the bell cranks C and E, and Dand F respectively move together until the supporting elements cometogether and embrace the tube as shown in Figure 11. The preformlng orshaping elements likewise engage the tube as A tube beshown, but thetube has not as yet been shaped. At this point, adjustable stop screws Jand K arrest the further upward movement of the inner ends of the bellcranks E and F' by bearing against abutments thereof. The continued.upward movement-of the arm A causesthe arm D to rotate further in aclockwise direction and the arm to rotate further in a counterclockwisedirection. The lower extensions of these arms, acting through thesurfaces 24 and 25 on the rollers M and N, rock the arms I about theirpivots and collapse the preforming members 4 and 5 about the tube end soas to shape it.

By adjusting the distance of the rollers M- and N from the pivot pointsof thearms I, various degrees of closure may be secured with thepreforming elements 4 and 5. By removing the screws G, other assembliesfor difierent sized tubes may be readily attached. By varying thedistance between the preformers 4 and 5 and the supporting means 9 and[0, various compromises between the fat fill closure and the chisel typeclosure may be obtained. It will be understood that the cam B is soshaped that the operation of the devices hereinabove described is timedwith movements of'the conveyor and the movements of other mechanism fortreating the tubes.

Modification may be made in my invention without departing from thespirit of it. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

l. In apparatus of thecharaeter described, operating means and resilientmeans attached to said' operating means, said resilient means havingengaging portions shaped to conform t'o the walls of a collapsible tubewhen in substantially circular cross-sectional form, and mounting means,said mounting means being so located as to permit the flexing of saidengaging portions so as to flatten them when in engagement with a tubewhereby to preform the end portions of a collapsible tube, incombination with means for defining the lines of deformation therein.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of forming elementsof resilient character and of substantially semi-circular shape, saidmembers comprising arms forming the semi-circular portions, and amounting means, and means for bringing said members together about acollapsible tube in such position that the arms embrace said tube, andfor thereafter further moving said members relative to each other so asto deform said arms and shape the tube therebetween.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of resilient formingmembers and a pair of tube supporting members, said resilient formingmembers having arms adapted to engage the end of a tube, and means forfirst bringing said several elements against a tube in such a way as tocause said supporting members and said resilient forming membersrespectively to embrace said tube and for thereafter moving saidresilient forming elements further so as to shape said tube.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of bell cranks, meansfor supporting a collapsible tube to be treated, supporting means onsaid bell cranks adapted to embrace the end of a collapsible tube insaid supporting means when said bell cranks are rotated, a pair ofresilient semi-circular tube-shaping elements mounted on said supportingelements by means of arms, and

means for moving said arms independently of the relationship to thewalls of said tube and thereafter to shape the walls of said tube.

5'. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of'bell cranks,means for supporting a collapsibletube to be treated, supporting meanson I to bring said preforming: members into embracing relationship tothe walls of said tube and thereafter to shape the walls. of said tube,said means comprising bell cranks'mounted on said first mentioned bellcranks, and connections between said last mentioned bell cranks and saidresilient forming means.

6. In apparatus of the character. described, a pair of bell cranks,means for supporting a' collapsible tube to be treated, supporting meanson said bell cranks adapted to embrace the end of a collapsible tube insaid supporting means when said bell cranks are rotated, a pair ofresilient semi-circular tube-shaping elements mounted on said supportingelements by means of arms,.and

means for moving said arms independently of the movements: of saidsupporting members, whereby to bring said preforming members intoembracing relationship to the walls of said tube andthereafter to shapethe walls of said tube,

- said means comprising bell cranks mounted on said first mentionedbell. cranks, connections between said last mentioned bell cranks andsaid resilient forming means, said connect-ionscomprising rollersmounted on said arms bearing said resilient forming means and havingcontact with said second mentioned bell cranks.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of bell crankspivoted to a support, and having arms extending toward each other anddownwardly extending arms, tube contacting supporting means mounted tosaid downwardly extending arms, a second bell crank pivoted to each ofsaid first mentioned bell cranks, an operating lever means for movingsaid bell cranks, a connection between said lever and said secondmentioned bell cranks, means for causing said several bell cranks tomove together .during a portion of their travel, stop means for saidfirst mentioned bell cranks permitting continued movement of said secondmentioned bell cranks, and resilient forming means for shaping the endof a collapsible tube and having an operative connection with saidsecond mentioned bell cranks.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of hell crankspivoted to a support, and having arms extending toward each other anddownwardly extending arms, tube contacting supporting means mounted tosaid downwardly extending arms, a second bell crank pivoted to each ofsaid first mentioned bell cranks, an operating lever means for movingsaid bell cranks, a connection between said lever and said secondmentioned bell cranks, means for causing said several bell cranks tomove together during a portion of their travel, stop means for saidfirst mentioned bell cranks permitting. continued movement of saidsecond mentioned bell cranks, and resilient forming means for shapingthe end of a collapsible tube and having an operative connection withsaid second mentioned bell cranks,

movements of said supporting members, whereby t'obring said preformin'gmembers into embracing said resilient shaping means being mounted uponarms having a pivotal connection with said first mentioned bell cranks,said arms having rollers bearing against said second mentioned bellcranks.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which the arms bearing theresilient shaping means are pivoted to the supporting means, and inwhich the supporting means are detachable from said first mentioned bellcranks, so that said supporting means and shaping means may beinterchanged as a unit for tubes of different sizes.

10. A method of preforming the end of a collapsible tube without causingmembers to enter it, which method comprises engaging the tube whensubstantially circular with resilient deformable means having surfacesfor contacting the tube and shaped to conform to the circular contourthereof, and deforming said means by inward pressure thereon from bothsides to the extent of substantially flattening the said contactingsurfaces thereof with the tube interposed therebetween, whereby the tubewalls are evenly shaped and flattened and brought into substantialjuxtaposition.

11. A method of preforming a collapsible tube without causing members toenter it, which comprises engaging the tube when substantially circularwith resilient deformable means having operating surfaces shaped toconform thereto, and deforming said means by inward pressure from bothsides so as to flatten said operating surfaces, whereby to shape theends of the tube walls evenly in flattening them, to such an extent thatthe tube walls may be juxtaposed by clamping means, and thereafterbringing substantially straight-edged clamping means against the shapedportion of said tube walls whereby to juxtapose them.

' 12. In apparatus of the character described, resilient means havingengaging surfaces curved to engage the circular walls of a collapsibletube, mounting means for said resilient means and of lesser extent thansaid resilient means whereby the greater portion of said resilient meansare free of said mounting means and capable of de forming under pressureto the extent of permitting substantial flattening of said engagingsurfaces, and operating means for said mounting means whereby saidresilient means may be caused to act upon the end of a collapsible tubewhereby to flatten the walls at said end.

13. A method of preforming the end of a collapsible tube without causingmembers to enter it, which comprises engaging an open end portion of thetube when substantially circular with resilient deformable means havingoperating surfaces shaped to conform thereto, engaging the tube withsupporting means adjacent the position of the first mentionedengagement, said supporting means shaped to control the lines ofdeformation during the flattening of the open end of the tube, deformingsaid resilient means by inward pressure, from both sides so as toflatten said operating surfaces, whereby to spread and shape the ends ofthe tube walls evenly in flattening them to the extent of substantiallyflattening the said walls in a fishtail formation, and thereafterbringing substantially straight edged clamping means against the shapedportion of said walls whereby to juxtapose them.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including moving means for saidoperating means and for said deformation controlling means, and a singlecam for actuating said moving means.

MERVIL HAILEAD.

